This invention relates generally to school busses and other vehicles having hinged arms for controlling traffic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,331 granted to Ronald C. Lamparter Aug. 18, 1998 discloses an illuminated pivotal sign assembly that is commonly referred to as a stop arm in the school bus industry. The stop arm comprises a stop sign at the end of an arm that is pivotally attached to the side of a school bus. The stop arm is normally stored against the side of the school bus. However, the stop arm is deployed perpendicularly to the side of the school bus when the school bus stops to pick up passengers or let off passengers. The deployed stop arm instructs drivers of other vehicles on the roadway to stop so that these other vehicles do not pass by the stopped school bus when passengers are entering or exiting the school bus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,933 granted to Ronald C. Lamparter Aug. 8, 2000 discloses a school bus that is equipped with a stop sign mechanism (i.e. a stop arm) that includes a sealed electrical actuator assembly and bezel that are mounted on the street side of the school bus and an illuminated sign assembly having integral arms that are hinged on the actuator assembly for pivotal movement. The trim bezel improves appearance and safeguards the illuminated sign in the stored position. The trim bezel also acts as a wind guard that reduces wind noise and guards against wind pivoting the illuminated sign assembly outwardly from the side panel of the bus when the bus is traveling between stops.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,005,973 granted to James A. Haigh, Richard J. Iminski, Robert C. Rabine and Kevin L. Wolf, Jr. Feb. 28, 2006 discloses an electrical actuator assembly for hinged vehicle safety devices, such as a stop arm. The actuator assembly includes an electric motor that pivots the hinged stop sign from a stored position adjacent the bus to an operative position extending outwardly of the bus in perpendicular fashion and back to the stored position, and an electrical control unit for controlling the electric motor.
Hinged arms such as stop arms and crossing control arms using one or more of the inventions described in the above patents have been manufactured and used successfully on school busses for many years. However, operation of school buses equipped with the stop arms in a high wind environment has revealed a desire for retaining the hinged arm in the stored position in a positive manner when the school bus is traveling between stops.